AU2003265724A1 - A device for mounting objects to a wall - Google Patents

Description

WO 2004/029379 PCT/AU2003/001267 A DEVICE FOR MOUNTING OBJECTS TO A WALL Field and Background of the Invention The present invention relates to an anchoring 5 device suitable for mounting safety equipment such as safety rails and walkways or other objects to a wall of a building. Occupational health and safety requirements often prescribe that safety rails and walkways must be erected 10 around the perimeter of a roof of a building during construction or maintenance of the building. The prescribed safety rails and walkways typically include complex scaffolding systems that are built up from the ground and, therefore, are time consuming to assemble and 15 expensive to hire. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that can alleviate these difficulties. Furthermore, the present invention may also be used to mount other objects, such as a basketball ring to 20 a wall of a house. More particularly, in a domestic situation when a person swings from a basketball ring, the wall to which it is mounted may collapsing, possibly resulting in serious injuries to the players. It is another object of the present invention to 25 provide a device capable of mounting objects such as a basketball ring to a wall of a house that can reduce the risk of the wall collapsing in the event of a person swinging from the basketball ring. 30 Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided an anchoring device for mounting a safety rail, walkway or other objects to a wall of a building having an outer layer of masonry, stone, brick, cement or other 35 material capable of withstand compression forces and an inner framework positioned adjacent to the outer layer, the device including: WO 2004/029379 PCT/AU2003/001267 -2 a) a member having a coupling means which, when the member is located in the outer layer of a wall, can be accessed from an outer face of the wall so that an object can be mounted to a wall by coupling with the coupling 5 means, and wherein the outer layer prevents the member from moving in a direction along a plane defined by the height and width of the outer layer; and b) an attachment means for attaching the member when located in the outer layer to the inner framework of the 10 wall so as to prevent the member moving in a direction transverse to the plane of the outer layer. The inner framework may be made of any suitable material and the outer layer may be made of any material such as brick, stone, cement, steel and timber sections 15 which can withstand large compression forces. For example, the device can be used in a brick veneer construction, wherein the outer layer is a single brick layer and the inner framework is a timber or metal frame positioned adjacent to the outer brick layer. 20 Moreover, the device is secured to the wall in such a manner that loads acting on the device in a direction transverse to the outer layer can be transferred to the inner framework of the wall and loads acting on the device in a direction along the plane of the outer layer 25 can be supported by the outer layer. It is preferred that the coupling means be a screw threaded portion such that an object can be mounted to the wall by way of screw threaded engagement with the screw threaded portion. 30 It is preferred that the member extends through the outer layer of the wall and has opposite ends, each of which are screw threaded and can be accessed on either side of the outer layer. It is preferred that when the member is located in 35 an outer layer of the wall, the screw threaded portion can be accessed from an inner face of the wall while the inner framework is being erected.

WO 2004/029379 PCT/AU2003/001267 -3 It is even more preferred that the member be a tube having openings at opposite ends and an internal screw thread, and when located in the outer layer of a wall, the openings of the tubing can be accessed from 5 opposite sides of the outer layer of the wall so that threaded members can be received by either opening. It is preferred that the member located in the outer layer be flush with or located beneath the outer face of the outer layer. 10 It is preferred that the means for attaching the member to the inner framework be in the form of a locating member capable of screw threaded engagement with the member, and the locating member can be attached to the inner framework using any suitable fastening means. An 15 advantage provided by the screw threaded engagement between the member and the locating member is that the length by which the locating member extends from the member can be adjusted, thereby catering for varying spaces between the outer layer and the inner framework. 20 It is even more preferred that the locating member have in external screw thread capable of being received by the internal screw thread of the member. It is preferred that the member include means for preventing the member from rotating about its longitudinal 25 axis. This preferred aspect of the present invention ensures that items mounted to the wall by the device can be dismantled by being unscrewed from the device. It is even more preferred that the means for preventing the member from rotating about its longitudinal 30 axis includes a plate attached to the member that can be embedded in the outer layer. It is also preferred that the locating member have a plate attached thereto for positioning on the inner framework and having holes therein for receiving the 35 fastening means for securing the locating member to the inner framework. It is preferred that a cover can be located in or WO 2004/029379 PCT/AU2003/001267 -4 over the screw threaded portion of the member. The cover is intended to protect and obscure the member from vision when not used for mounting items. 5 Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures la and lb are perspective views of a device 10 shown in an exploded configuration and an assembled configuration, respectively; Figure 2 is a perspective rear view of the two devices shown in Figures la or lb installed in a wall; and Figure 3 is front view of a wall having the device 15 shown in Figures 1b. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment The device, generally identified by reference numeral 10, includes a member in the form of an internal 20 screw threaded tube 11 having openings at opposite ends and an attachment means in the form of a cylindrical rod 13 having a screw threaded end for screw threaded engagement with the tube 11. As will be explained in greater detail, tube 11 is capable of being located in an 25 outer layer 12 of a wall and the cylindrical rod 13 is adapted to be attached to framework 14 positioned adjacent to the outer layer 12 of the wall. The outer layer 12 may be constructed from any suitable material such as brick or stone that can 30 withstand substantial compression forces. Similarly, the framework 14 may be made of any suitable such as timber or steel or even brick. It is possible that the device 10 can be installed in an existing wall by drilling a hole in the outer layer 35 12, inserting the tube 11 in the hole, positioning the cylindrical rod 13 in the tube 11 and fastening the cylindrical rod 13 to the framework 14. However, it is WO 2004/029379 PCT/AU2003/001267 -5 preferred that the device be installed during construction of a wall. More specifically, the tube 11 can be permanently located in the brickwork of a brick veneer wall during its 5 construction, wherein the lube 11 is located between two adjacent upper bricks 15 and a single lower brick 16. As can be seen in Figure 2, the tube 11 is positioned laterally across a mid region of the top surface of the lower brick 16 such that when the next layer of bricks is 10 layered, the tube 11 can be located between opposite ends of the two upper bricks 15. If necessary, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the lower corner of the upper bricks 15 can be chamfered to accommodate a tube 11 having a diameter great than the spacing between the bricks 15. 15 In addition, as can be seen in Figures la and 1b, a base plate 17 is welded to the tube 11 and is seated on the top surface of the lower brick 16. When the device is located in the outer brick layer 12, the base plate 17 is embedded in the sand and cement mortar between the bricks 20 and prevents the tube 11 from rotating about its longitudinal axis such that objects can be screwed and unscrewed from the tube 11. As can be seen in Figure 2, the cylindrical rod 13 includes a threaded portion for screw threaded engagement 25 with the tube 11 facing the framework 14. An advantage provided by this configuration is that the length of the cylindrical rod 13 extending from the tube 11 can be adjusted so that an attachment plate 18, connected to an end of the cylindrical rod 13, can be aligned with 30 vertical members of the framework 14. In most instances the framework 14 is made of timber or metal material that enables fasteners, such as screws, to permanently attach the attachment plate 18 to the framework 14. As can be seen in Figure 3, a cover or screw 35 threaded plug 19 can be positioned in the end of the tube accessible from outer face of the brick layer 12. Although not illustrated in the Figures, a series WO 2004/029379 PCT/AU2003/001267 -6 of the devices 10 located in the upper region of a wall can be used as anchorage points for assembling safety equipment and scaffolding structures around the perimeter of roof. 5 When the safety equipment is assembled, each device 10 provides an anchoring point in which the outer brick layer 12 prevents movement of the device 10 in a direction along the plane of the outer brick layer 12. In addition, forces applied to the device 10 in a direction 10 transverse to the outer brick layer 12 will be transferred to the framework 14, thereby reducing the risk of the outer brick layer 12 collapsing sideways. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art of the present invention that modifications may be 15 made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the tube may be in the form of solid bar having an external screw thread project from the outer face of the wall, and an object having a hole may be 20 clamped to the outside face a building by placing the hole over the threaded portion and tightening a bolt or nut on the thread.

Claims (11)

1. An anchoring device for mounting a safety rail, walkway or other objects to a wall of a building having an 5 outer layer of masonry, stone, brick, cement or other material capable of withstand compression forces and an inner framework positioned adjacent to the outer layer, the device including: a) a member having a coupling means which, when the 10 member is located in the outer layer of a wall, can be accessed from an outer face of the wall so that an object can be attached to the device by coupling with the coupling means, and wherein the outer layer prevents the member from moving in a direction along a plane defined by 15 the height and width of the outer layer; and b) an attachment means for attaching the member when located in the outer layer to the inner framework of the wall so as to prevent the member moving in a direction transverse to the plane of the outer layer. 20

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means is a screw threaded portion such that an object can be attached to the device by way of screw threaded engagement with the screw threaded portion. 25

3. The device according to claim 2, whereby when the member is located in an outer layer of the wall, the screw threaded portion can be accessed from an inner face of the wall while the inner framework is being erected. 30

4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the member is a tube having openings at opposite ends and an internal screw thread, and when located in the outer layer of a wall, threaded members can be received by either 35 opening.

5. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, WO 2004/029379 PCT/AU2003/001267 -8 wherein the member is adapted such than when located in the outer layer it can be flush with or located beneath the outer face of the outer layer. 5

6. The device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the means for attaching the member to the inner framework is in the form of a locating member capable of screw threaded engagement with the member, and the locating member can be attached to the inner framework 10 using a fastening means.

7. The device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the locating member has an external screw thread capable of receiving the internal screw thread of the 15 member.

8. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the member includes means for preventing the member from rotating about its longitudinal axis when 20 located in the outer layer.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the means for preventing the member from rotating about its longitudinal axis includes a plate attached to the member 25 that can be embedded in the outer layer.

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein the locating member has a plate attached thereto having holes for receiving fastening means for securing the locating 30 member to the inner framework.

11. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein a cover can be located in or over the screw threaded portion of the member that can be accessed from 35 the outer face of the outer layer of the wall.